Butler Eagle wins 6 Keystone Awards, among other honors
The Butler Eagle received six first place awards, three second place awards and two honorable mentions from the 2026 Professional Keystone Media Awards.
The Eagle’s news reporting, sports coverage, podcasts, page designs and photography won top honors. The Keystone Awards recognize statewide journalistic excellence through the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.
“I am very proud of everyone for the hard work and dedication to producing quality journalism for our community,” Butler Eagle publisher and general manager Tammy Schuey said.
Staff writer Zach Zimmerman won for News Beat Reporting in Division II for his work covering education in Butler County.
One of his reports, titled “Missing Money: How the state budget impasse is costing Butler County schools millions,” examined the financial strain the late 2025 Pennsylvania budget impasse had on Butler County’s school districts.
Zimmerman worked alongside staff writer Sol McCormick to place first in Division II Breaking News.
Their piece, “Fogel Free,” concludes a series of stories about Butler native Marc Fogel’s return home after following years of coverage of his detainment in Russia.
A group effort between current sports editor Jake Merda Adams, former sports editor John Enrietto and sports staff writers Derek Pyda and Brendan Howe took home first place in the Division II Sports Enterprise category.
Their piece, “25 in 2025: Top athletes, coaches, teams and stories in Butler County sports since 2000,” catalogs the top male and female athletes, coaches and teams the county has produced since 2000.
Staff writer Matthew Glover received a first place award in Division II Personality Profile.
“A chink in the armor: Cranberry Township officer grapples with mental health,” was a two-part feature in May and June 2025 on Cranberry Township police officer Josh Shimko and his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder after responding to a suicide.
Alter Eagle podcast producer Laura Crago won first place in podcasting with episode, “Holding on to Hello: Teen Pregnancy, Adoption and a 40-Year Reunion.”
The episode details the powerful story of how Hank and Terry Leyland met their son, the legislation that made it possible and their relationship afterward.
Former Butler Eagle lead photographer Rob McGraw won for his Division II Breaking News Photo, “Man arrested amid downtown protest,” from a March protest in downtown Butler.
Butler Eagle copy editor and page designer Bob Weible took home second place in the category of Feature Page Design, with the submission, “Chris Crossing America and other feature designs.”
Crago also won second place in the podcasting division with Alter Eagle episode, “The Heart of a Community: Service, Serendipity & Small Business.”
McGraw placed second in Sports Feature Photo, with the image, “Drenched in Glory: Moniteau celebrates first win in 2 years.”
Eagle staff received two honorable mentions in the News Feature Story category, with staff writer William Pitts’ story, “Mobile home park residents place faith in legislation, hope for relief,” and the podcast category with Pyda, Howe, Merda Adams and Crago’s Eye on Sports episode, “A Year in Local Sports: Legends, Live Shows & Championships.”
